---
title: "景德傳燈錄 · 池州南泉普願和尚語"
description: "景德传灯录由宋代高僧道原编纂，成书于景德年间（1004-1007年），是中国佛教禅宗重要史传类典籍。全书共三十卷，收录自释迦牟尼至五代末年的禅宗祖师1701人，以法脉传承为脉络，记录历代禅师的机缘语录、公案典故。作为现存最早的传灯体著作，该书系统记载了禅宗五家七宗的传承体系，保存了大量珍贵史料，对研究中国禅宗发展史具有不可替代的价值。景德传灯录与五灯会元并称为禅宗两大灯录，被后世奉为禅门经典，不仅影响了宋明理学的发展，更成为东亚禅佛教传播的重要文献依据。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmaarcak802f7jy04duhtze1n"
---

池州南泉普願和尚上堂曰。諸子老僧十八上解作活計。有解作活計者出來。共爾商量是住山人始得。良久顧視大眾合掌曰。珍重無事各自修行。大眾不去。師曰。如聖果大可畏。勿量大人尚不奈何。我且不是渠。渠且不是我。渠爭奈我何。他經論家說法身為極則。喚作理盡三昧義盡三昧。似老僧向前被人教返本還源去。幾恁麼會禍事。兄弟近日禪師太多。覓箇癡鈍人不可得。不道全無於中還少。若有出來共爾商量。如空劫時有修行人否。有無作麼不道。阿爾尋常巧脣薄舌。及乎問著總皆不道。何不出來。莫論佛出世時事。兄弟今時人擔佛著肩上行。聞老僧言心不是佛智不是道。便聚頭擬推老僧無爾推處。爾若束得虛空作棒打得老僧著一任推。時有僧問。從上祖師至江西大師。皆云。即心是佛平常心是道。今和尚云。心不是佛智不是道。學人悉生疑惑。請和尚慈悲指示。師乃抗聲答曰。爾若是佛休更涉疑却問。老僧何處有恁麼傍家疑佛來。老僧且不是佛亦不曾見祖師。爾恁麼道自覓祖師去。曰和尚恁麼道。教學人如何扶持得。師曰。爾急手托虛空著。曰虛空無動相。云何托。師曰。爾言無動相早是動也。虛空何解道我無動相。此皆是爾情見。曰虛空無動相尚是情見。前遣某甲托何物。師曰。爾既知不應言托。擬何處扶持他。曰即心是佛既不得。是心作佛否。師曰。是心是佛是心作佛情計所有斯皆想成。佛是智人心是采集主。皆對物時他便妙用。大德莫認心認佛。設認得是境。被他喚作所知愚。故江西大師云。不是心不是佛不是物。且教爾後人恁麼行履。今時學人披箇衣服。傍家疑恁麼閑事還得否。曰既不是心不是佛不是物。和尚今却云心不是佛智不是道。未審若何。師曰。爾不認心一有不字是佛智不是道。老僧勿一作忽得心來復何處著。曰總既不得何異太虛。師曰。既不是物比什麼太虛。又教誰異不異。曰不可無他不是心不是佛不是物。師曰。爾若認遮箇還成心佛去也。曰請和尚說。師曰。老僧自不知。曰何故不知。師曰。教我作麼生說。曰可不許學人會道。師曰。會什麼道又作麼生會。曰某甲不知。師曰。不知却好。若取老僧語喚作依通人。設見彌勒出世還被他燖却頭尾。曰使後人如何。師曰。爾且自看莫憂他後人。曰前不許某甲會道。今復令某甲自看。未審如何。師曰。冥會妙會許爾。爾作麼生會。曰如何是妙會。師曰。還欲學老僧語。縱說是老僧說。大德如何。曰某甲若自會。即不須和尚乞慈悲指示。師曰。不可指東指西賺人。爾當哆哆和和時作麼不來問老僧。今時巧黠始道我不會圖什麼。爾若此生出頭來道。我出家作禪師。如未出家時曾作什麼來。且說看共爾商量。曰恁麼時某甲不知。師曰。既不知即今認得可可是耶。曰認得既不是不認是否。師曰。認不認是什麼語話。曰到遮裏某甲轉不會也。師曰。爾若不會我更不會。曰某甲是學人即不會。和尚是善知識合會。師曰。遮漢向爾道不會。誰論善知識。莫巧黠。看他江西老宿在日。有一學士問。如水無筋骨能乘萬斛舟此理如何。老宿云。遮裏無水亦無舟。論什麼筋骨。兄弟他學士便休去可不省力。所以數數向道佛不會道。我自修行用知作麼。曰如何修行。師曰。不可思量得向人道。恁麼修恁麼行大難。曰還許學人修行否。師曰。老僧不可障得爾。曰某甲如何修行。師曰。要行即行不可專尋他背。曰若不因善知識指示無以得會。如和尚每言。修行須解始得。若不解即落他因果無自由分。未審如何修行即免落他因果。師曰。更不要商量。若論修行何處不去得。曰如何去得。師曰。爾不可逐背尋得。曰和尚未說教某甲作麼生尋。師曰。縱說何處覓去。且如爾從旦至夜。忽東行西行。爾尚不商量道去得不得。別人不可知得爾。曰當東行西行總不思量是否。師曰。恁麼時誰道是不是。曰和尚每言。我於一切處而無所行。他拘我不得。喚作遍行三昧普現色身。莫是此理否。師曰。若論修行何處不去。不說拘與不拘。亦不說三昧。曰何異有法得菩提道。師曰。不論異不異。曰和尚所說修行。迢然與大乘別。未審如何。師曰。不管他別不別。兼不曾學來。若論看教自有經論座主。他教家實大可畏。爾且不如聽去好。曰究竟令學人作麼生會。師曰。如汝所問元只在因緣邊。看爾且不奈何緣。是認得六門頭事。爾但會佛那邊却來。我與爾商量。兄弟莫恁麼尋逐不住恁麼不取古人語行菩薩行唯一人行。天魔波旬領諸眷屬。常隨菩薩後覓心行起處便擬撲倒。如是經無量劫覓一念異處不得。方與眷屬禮辭讚歎供養。猶是進修位中。下之人便不奈何。況絕功用處。如文殊普賢。更不話他。兄弟作麼生道行是無。覓一日行底人不可得。今時傍家從年至歲。只是覓究竟作麼生。空弄脣舌生解。曰當恁麼時無佛名無眾生名。使某甲作麼圖度。師曰。爾言無佛名無眾生名。早是圖度了也。亦是記他言語。曰若如是悉屬佛出世時事。了不可不言。師曰。爾作麼生言。曰設使言言亦不及。師曰。若道言不及是及語。爾虛恁麼尋逐。誰與爾為境。曰既無為境者。誰是那邊人。師曰。爾若不引教來即何處論佛。既不論佛老僧與誰論遮邊那邊。曰果雖不住道而道能為因如何。師曰。是他古人如今不可不奉戒。我不是渠渠不是我。作得伊如狸奴白牯。行履却快活。爾若一念異即難為修行。曰云何一念異難為修行。師曰。才一念異便有勝劣二根。不是情見隨他因果。更有什麼自由分。曰每聞和尚說報化非真佛亦非說法者。未審如何。師曰。緣生故非。曰報化既非真佛。法身是真佛否。師曰。早是應身也。曰若恁麼即法身亦非真佛。師曰。法身是真非真。老僧無舌不解道。爾教我道即得。曰離三身外何法是真佛。師曰。遮漢共八九十老人相罵。向爾道了也。更問什麼離不離。擬把楔釘他虛空。曰伏承華嚴經是法身佛說如何。師曰。爾適來道什麼語。其僧重問。師顧視歎曰。若是法身說。爾向什麼處聽。曰某甲不會。師曰。大難大難。好去珍重。

> Chan Master Puyuan of Nanquan in Chizhou ascended the platform and said: "My disciples, this old monk has known how to make a living since he was eighteen. If any of you know how to make a living, come forward. Let us discuss it together—but only if you are a person who dwells in the mountains." After a long silence, he looked around at the assembly, joined his palms, and said: "Take care. There is nothing to do—each of you, practice on your own." The assembly did not leave. The Master said: "The fruits of sagehood are truly formidable. Do not measure the great ones—even they cannot do anything about it. I am not them, and they are not me. What can they do to me? The scholars of sutras and treatises say the Dharma-body is the ultimate standard. They call it the samadhi of exhausted principle, the samadhi of exhausted meaning. It is like when this old monk was previously told by others to 'return to the root and go back to the source.' If you understand it that way, what a disaster! Brothers, these days there are too many Chan masters. You cannot find a single dull-witted person. I am not saying there are none at all—among them there are still a few. If any come forward, I will discuss it with you. Were there practitioners at the time of the empty kalpa? Whether there were or not, why do you not say? You are usually so clever and sharp-tongued, but when asked, you all say nothing. Why not come forward? Let us not discuss matters from the time of the Buddha's appearance. Brothers, people today carry the Buddha on their shoulders as they walk. When they hear this old monk say 'the mind is not the Buddha, wisdom is not the Path,' they immediately gather their heads together and try to oust this old monk—but you have no place to oust me from. If you can tie up empty space into a staff and strike this old monk, then you may oust me as you please." At that time a monk asked: "From the ancestral masters down to the great master of Jiangxi, all have said 'this very mind is the Buddha, the ordinary mind is the Path.' Now the Master says 'the mind is not the Buddha, wisdom is not the Path.' Students are all filled with doubt. Please, Master, in your compassion, instruct us." The Master raised his voice and replied: "If you are the Buddha, stop doubting and asking. Where did this old monk ever have such side-door doubts about the Buddha? This old monk is not the Buddha, nor have I ever seen the ancestral masters. If you talk like that, go find the ancestral masters yourself." The monk said: "If the Master speaks like this, how can students be supported?" The Master said: "You quickly try to hold up empty space." The monk said: "Empty space has no moving form. How can it be held up?" The Master said: "You say it has no moving form—that is already movement. How could empty space say 'I have no moving form'? These are all your emotional views." The monk said: "If even 'empty space has no moving form' is an emotional view, then what was I earlier told to hold up?" The Master said: "Since you already know, you should not say 'hold up.' What place are you trying to support?" The monk said: "Since 'this very mind is the Buddha' does not hold, is it 'this mind makes the Buddha'?" The Master said: "This mind is the Buddha, this mind makes the Buddha—these are calculations, all products of conceptual thought. The Buddha is the mind of wisdom; the mind is the chief of gathering. When facing things, it simply functions wondrously. Great Virtuous One, do not recognize mind, do not recognize Buddha. Even if you recognize them, they are just objects—what they call 'the ignorance of what is known.' Therefore the great master of Jiangxi said: 'It is not mind, not Buddha, not a thing.' He was just teaching later people to practice that way. Nowadays students put on a robe and go around doubting such idle matters—is that of any use?" The monk said: "Since it is not mind, not Buddha, not a thing, why does the Master now say 'the mind is not the Buddha, wisdom is not the Path'? I do not understand what this means." The Master said: "You do not recognize that the mind is not the Buddha, wisdom is not the Path. When this old monk does not grasp the mind, where can it be placed?" The monk said: "If nothing at all can be grasped, how is that different from the great void?" The Master said: "Since it is not a thing, what do you compare to the great void? And who is there to be different or not different?" The monk said: "We cannot say there is no 'not mind, not Buddha, not a thing.'" The Master said: "If you recognize that, you still become mind and Buddha." The monk said: "Please, Master, speak." The Master said: "This old monk himself does not know." The monk said: "Why do you not know?" The Master said: "How do you want me to speak?" The monk said: "Can you not allow students to understand the Path?" The Master said: "Understand what Path? And how would you understand?" The monk said: "I do not know." The Master said: "Not knowing is good. If you take this old monk's words, you become a person who relies on others' understanding. Even if you met Maitreya appearing in the world, he would still singe off your head and tail." The monk said: "What about later people?" The Master said: "You just look after yourself—do not worry about later people." The monk said: "Earlier you did not allow me to understand the Path, and now you tell me to look after myself. I do not understand what this means." The Master said: "Silent understanding, wondrous understanding—I allow you that. But how do you understand?" The monk said: "What is wondrous understanding?" The Master said: "You want to learn this old monk's words again. Even if I speak, it is this old monk speaking. Great Virtuous One, what about you?" The monk said: "If I could understand on my own, I would not need to beg the Master in compassion to instruct me." The Master said: "I cannot point east and point west to deceive people. When you were babbling and innocent, why did you not come to ask this old monk? Now that you are clever and cunning, you say 'I do not understand'—what are you trying to gain? If you say, 'I will come forth in this life and become a Chan master'—what were you doing before you left home? Tell me, let us discuss it." The monk said: "At that time I did not know." The Master said: "Since you did not know then, is what you recognize now exactly right? Since what you recognize is not it, is not recognizing it right?" The Master said: "Recognizing or not recognizing—what kind of talk is that?" The monk said: "At this point, I understand even less." The Master said: "If you do not understand, I understand even less." The monk said: "I am a student, so I do not understand. The Master is a good teacher—you should understand." The Master said: "This fellow—I tell you I do not understand, and you talk about good teachers. Do not be clever. Look at the old master of Jiangxi when he was alive. A scholar asked him: 'Water has no bones or sinews, yet it can carry a ship of ten thousand bushels—what is the principle behind this?' The old master said: 'Here there is no water and no ship. What bones and sinews are you talking about?' Brothers, that scholar just stopped—was that not effortless? That is why I repeatedly tell you: the Buddha does not understand the Path. I practice on my own—what use is knowing?" The monk said: "How should one practice?" The Master said: "It cannot be grasped by thought—yet I must tell people. To practice like this, to cultivate like this, is very difficult." The monk said: "Will you allow students to practice?" The Master said: "This old monk cannot obstruct you." The monk said: "How should I practice?" The Master said: "If you want to walk, then walk—do not just seek his back." The monk said: "Without a good teacher's instruction, there is no way to understand. As the Master often says, 'Practice must be understood to be attained. If you do not understand, you fall into cause and effect with no share of freedom.' I do not understand how to practice so as to avoid falling into cause and effect." The Master said: "Do not discuss it further. If we speak of practice, where can you not go?" The monk said: "How does one go?" The Master said: "You cannot find it by following backs." The monk said: "The Master has not said how I should seek." The Master said: "Even if I spoke, where would you go to find it? Take you, from morning to night, suddenly walking east, walking west—you do not even discuss whether you can go or not. Others cannot know you." The monk said: "When walking east or west, should one not think at all?" The Master said: "At such a time, who says it is or is not?" The monk said: "The Master often says, 'I walk nowhere in all places. Nothing can confine me. This is called the samadhi of universal walking, the universal manifestation of the form-body.' Is this the principle?" The Master said: "If we speak of practice, where can you not go? I do not speak of confined or not confined, nor do I speak of samadhi." The monk said: "How is this different from having a dharma to attain the Path of Enlightenment?" The Master said: "I do not discuss different or not different." The monk said: "The Master's teaching on practice is vastly different from the Mahayana. I do not understand how." The Master said: "I do not care whether it is different or not. I never studied it anyway. If we speak of studying the teachings, there are sutra masters for that. Those scholars of the teaching are truly formidable. You had better just listen and go—that is better." The monk said: "Ultimately, how should students understand?" The Master said: "As for what you asked, it is originally only on the side of causes and conditions. Look—you cannot do anything about conditions. It is recognizing the matters of the six sense-gates. Just understand the Buddha's side and come back. I will discuss it with you. Brothers, do not seek and chase like this without stopping. Do not take the ancients' words that 'the bodhisattva practice is walked by one person alone.' Mara, the demon king, leads all his retinue and constantly follows behind bodhisattvas, seeking where their minds stir so he can pounce and knock them down. Thus for countless kalpas he finds not a single thought of divergence. Only then does he and his retinue bow, praise, and make offerings. This is still within the stage of progressive cultivation. Those below cannot do anything about it, much less the stage where effort is cut off. As for Manjushri and Samantabhadra, we need not even speak of them. Brothers, how do you say practice is nothing? You cannot find a single person who walks for a day. Nowadays people go around year after year just seeking ultimate understanding." "Empty talk and clever tongues produce understanding." The monk said: "At such a time, there is no name of Buddha, no name of sentient beings. What should I try to conceive?" The Master said: "You say there is no name of Buddha, no name of sentient beings—that is already conceiving. It is also remembering his words." The monk said: "If so, all belongs to matters from the time of the Buddha's appearance. It is impossible not to speak." The Master said: "How do you speak?" The monk said: "Even if one speaks, speech does not reach it." The Master said: "If you say speech does not reach, that is reaching speech. You vainly seek and chase like this—who makes objects for you?" The monk said: "Since there is no one who makes objects, who is the person on the other side?" The Master said: "If you do not bring in the teachings, then where do you discuss the Buddha? Since you do not discuss the Buddha, with whom does this old monk discuss this side and that side?" The monk said: "Though the fruit does not abide in the Path, the Path can be its cause—how is that?" The Master said: "That is the ancients. Nowadays one must uphold the precepts. I am not him, he is not me. If you can be like a cat or a white ox, your practice will be free and easy. If a single thought diverges, practice becomes difficult." The monk said: "How does a single thought diverging make practice difficult?" The Master said: "As soon as a single thought diverges, there are the two roots of superior and inferior. It is not emotional views following cause and effect. What share of freedom is there?" The monk said: "I often hear the Master say that the reward-body and transformation-body are not the true Buddha, nor are they the speakers of Dharma. I do not understand how." The Master said: "Because they arise from conditions, they are not." The monk said: "Since the reward-body and transformation-body are not the true Buddha, is the Dharma-body the true Buddha?" The Master said: "That is already the response-body." The monk said: "If so, then the Dharma-body is also not the true Buddha." The Master said: "The Dharma-body is true or not true—this old monk has no tongue and cannot speak. If you tell me to speak, then I can." The monk said: "Apart from the three bodies, what dharma is the true Buddha?" The Master said: "This fellow is quarreling with an old man of eighty or ninety. I have already told you. What more do you ask about apart or not apart? You are trying to drive a wedge into empty space." The monk said: "I have heard that the Flower Garland Sutra is spoken by the Dharma-body Buddha—how is that?" The Master said: "What did you just say?" The monk repeated the question. The Master looked at him, sighed, and said: "If it is spoken by the Dharma-body, where do you listen?" The monk said: "I do not understand." The Master said: "Very difficult, very difficult. Go well. Take care."